Improvement in ice-machines



J'. F. GESNER.

ICE MACHINE. No.177,`999. Y I Patented May 3@r 1876.

@Hw N NT, 9.21

. i Anonnev. z

UNrrED STATES 'PATENT rrron. N

JOHN F. GEsNER, oF NEW vor-zx., N.' Y.

IMPRovEMENT IAN ice-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 77,999, dated May 30, 1876; application tiled September 19, 1874.

the principles of, rst, the abstraction of heat or production of cold by the evaporation of a lvolatile liquid 'in vacuo,- second, the subsequentcondensatio'n of the gas, after such eva-poration, by pressure and cold into the liquid state.

The machines hitherto designed, and the volatileliquids used for artificial refrigeration,

`dependent upon the above principles, are ac-` companied with certain defects, and attended with certain disadvantages, which I claim are obviated by the use of the improved apparatns for volatile fluids described herein.

In the use of liqueed ammonia, methylic ether, and other fluids of very low boilingpoints, itis necessary to make thecondenser f stout strong pipes of small diameter, to withstand the great pressure necessary to liquefy these gases.

My improvements in the refrigerator consist in the combination of long, deep, narrow, rectangular chambers or fluid-freezers, exposiiig` a large evaporating-surface in4 proportion to capacity," and connected throughout its various parts so as to maintain circulation and a'uniform level of liquid, with gas-reservoirs,

which are connected with the exhausting andl compressing apparatus. The freezers are also combined with a water-cistern, which is constructed with hollow sides, having pipe connections, admitting water or steam to detach the ice by warming the linings of thecistern, also having removable sides for opening to discharge the ice. There are also saws combined with the freezers for cutting the ice from them preparatory to the removal of it.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved refrigerator, taken on the line w as of Fig. 2. Fig.2 isa sectional elevation, taken onthe line y y of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line z z of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the refrigerator.

Similar lettersof reference indicate corresponding parts.

' gas-receiver R. The freezer F is a long, deep,

narrow vessel, closed at the bottom andsides, but open at the top, which 'lits into the space or slot S in the receiver. It is firmly secured in the slot S to the bottom of the gas-receiver R, and level with its interior surface, by bolting o'r riveting, and soldering around its outer edges, or by other approved means.

These vessels F may be of cast or Wrought iron, coated with tin, or they may be made of liat sheets of copper or other metal, soldered together, and braced inside and outside ,to prevent collapsing by the pressure of the'- atmosphere without, or Arupture from the pressure of the gas or uid within. ierably made of from a half inch to two inches in diameter, from one foot to three feet in They are prefdepth, and of any convenient length, regard being had to strength of material. Where any considerable length may be required they;

may be cast or made in sections, and securedV to the gas-receivers, as already described.

The object of making these freezers of the form shown and described is not only for economy and convenience, but for the purpose-of promoting a priming or foaming of thefluidv in the said freezers when the gas is Withdrawn by the exhaust apparatus from the gas-receivers above. This violent ebullition, keeping the particles of fluid in motion, is favorable to the uniform abstraction of heat fromthe surfaces of the freezers, and prevents evaporation taking place merely from the exposed surfaceof the iluid; i

Any number of these combined freezers and gas-receivers Fand R are placed side by side,

-v drawing. YThe freezers are connected by tubes alternatfely endvto end, either vabove or below, for the purpose of maintaining circulation and 'a nearly uniform level of liquid in each. rIhe transverse gas-receivers R', uniting the ends of the gas-receivers R, communicate, by pipe E, with the exhaust side of the exhausting and compressing apparatus. D is the tube by whichthe condensed liquid is returned to the freezers. The freezers F are preferably made of thin sheets of copper, which are unit ed and braced together in any .convenient manner, so as to prevent collapse or rupture.

Thus it will be seen that one of the essenscribe, is the combination of these hat parallel freezers with a water-cistern, having double walls and removable sides; and another feature consists of a platform with guides and inclined plane for the reception and delivery of the ice.

In the manufacture of ice but one series ot' freezers isv used, and these freezers are arranged in a water-cistern. This water-cistern H is' made with double walls and bottoms, with a space, L, between the walls, the outer wall being covered with a non-conducting heat material, I. It is fitted with removable ends or sides J '5 also, constructed with double walls, with space L between them, and covered with a non-conducting heat material, I. These removable ends or sides are fitted accura-tely to the sides of the water-cistern, and are made capable of being securely fastened to the same by bolts a, screws, or otherwise. Washers' b, of india-rubber or other elastic packing material, are fastened to the faces of the walls of the removable sides J', and also to the faces of .the sides H corresponding to the same, so as to make and maintain a watertight joint when secured together. These removable sides J may be hinged to the watercistern and made capable of swinging free, or they may be made capable of being withdrawn to either side, or up or' down.

The spaces between the walls of the watercistern rare connected by a pipe, C, with a res-v ervoir of steam, hot air, or hot liquid, which may be,turned on or off at will bya stop-cock. C is the exit-tube, also provided with a stopcock for the escape of the steam, hot air, or duid. The space between the walls of the removable sides is also connected, by flexible tubes or equivalentmeans, with a reservoir of steam, 815e., the tubes of entrance and exit being seen at m and m.

In the manufacture of ice the removable sides J are tirst made fast by bolts, screws, or springs, to the open ends of the water-cistern. The water-cistern is then lled with w-ater by any suitable means, and the exhausting and compressing apparatus put and kept in action until they water is frozen.

To remove the ice when the contents of the watercistern are frozen solid, steam is first admitted to the space between the walls of the two sides by the flexible tubes m m until they can be easily detached and withdrawn. from the ice formed. This leaves the Watercistern with its contents of ice open at its two Fine saws M, moving on guides extremities. 3 3, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) as near the vertical surface of each freezer as possible, are now worked down the sides of each freezer, freeing the ice from it. These saws are attached to the guides 3 3, which move with the saws as they descend in theprocess of sawing, and hold the saws snugly up to their work. When not in use the saws. are attached tothe gasreservoir by means of the hook-bars 4 4, as shown in Fig. 2. The ice nowremains attached only to the bottom of the water-cistern, whence it is detached by admitting steam, Snc., to the space between the walls of the water-cistern, and removed by sliding it out upon a platform.

The freezers F are placed close down upon the bottom of the water-cistern, and the ice is sawed as closely as possible to the bottom, in order to avoid the accession of any more heat than is absolutely necessary in detaching the ice. ,The space between the walls of the water-cistern and the removable sides serves not only for the admission of steam, hot air, or hot liquid', to facilitate the removal of the ice, but when not so used serves to confine a nonconducting space of air, which, together with the non-conducting heat-covering of the watercistern and removable sides, prevent the ready admission of heat from without to the freezing contents within the water-cistern. i

rlhe freezers may be placed at any convenient distance apart, consistent with economy, according to the thickness of ice deemed desirable.

In order to economize as'far as'possible in the continuous production of ice while the water in the cistern H is freezing, the water intended for the next freezing may undergo a preliminary'cooling by exposing it to the refrigerating action of the cold gas evaporated from the fluid infreezers F. For this purpose the gas-reservoirs R, extended and multi plied to any desirable extent, mayy be surrounded by water in a water-cooler. This water-cooler will consist of a reservoir like the,v water-cistern H, with double metallic walls,

with the air-space L covered externally with a non-conducting heat material-preferably wood-al1 for the better prevention of accession of heat from without, and fitted with a stop-cock for drawing olf the water, when necessary, into the water-cistern below. Spaces will be cut through the bottom of the water- Y cooler of the width and length of the freezers F, which are to be let down through them into the water-cistern below, and cemented or soldered water-tight in their places. The wa' ter-cooler may be supported above the Watercistern H in any convenient manner and at any convenient height. y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 4 l. The combination of gas-reservoirs R and R with fluid evaporetors or freezers F, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a weter-cistern having double Wa.11s,of a. removable side or sides, J, provided with double Walls and an inlet and an outlet, and elastic Washers b, substantially as und for the purpose specied.

3. In combination Wit-h the ges-reservoir R and R and freezer F, the saws M Working on the guides 3 3, and provided with a means of being suspended when not in use, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN F. GESNER.

Witnesses:

C. SEDGWIGK, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

